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Product Description

Rafe is more intrigued by Julia than any woman he's ever known. But when their developing relationship threatens a reconciliation with his brothers, will Rafe have to choose between his family and this new love that could heal his troubled heart and secure his happiness?

Publisher's Description

Julia Gilliland has always been interested in the natural world around her. She particularly enjoys her outings to the cavern near her father's homestead, where she explores for fossils and formations, and plans to write a book about her discoveries. The cave seems plenty safe--until the day a mysterious intruder steals the rope she uses to find her way out.

Rafe Kincaid has spent years keeping his family's cattle ranch going, all without help from his two younger brothers, who fled the ranch--and Rafe's controlling ways--as soon as they were able. He's haunted by one terrible day at the cave on a far-flung corner of the Kincaid property, a day that changed his life forever. Ready to put the past behind him, he plans to visit the cave one final time. He sure doesn't expect to find a young woman trapped in one of the tunnels--or to be forced to kiss her!

Rafe is more intrigued by Julia than any woman he's ever known, but how can he overlook her fascination with the cave he despises? And when his developing relationship with Julia threatens his chance at reconciliation with his brothers, will he be forced to choose between the family bonds that could restore his trust and the love that could heal his heart?

Author Bio

Mary Connealy writes fun and lively "romantic comedy with cowboys" for the inspirational market. She is the author of the successful LASSOED IN TEXAS, MONTANA MARRIAGES, and SOPHIE'S DAUGHTERS series, and her novel Calico Canyon was nominated for a Christy Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her husband, Ivan, and has four grown daughters.

So often romance novels depict men that just seem too good to be true. Mary knows how to write a male lead. Her main characters are flawed and yet you can't seem to stop falling in love with their story. Loved this story!

This book was available as a free download, and was my first time reading this author. This was not the style of book I am used to. It jumps from several characters perspectives, vs. just one or two. The feel of the book was also unusual to me. Maybe more raw than I am used to. It takes place in 1866 Colorado, and the characters have very limited exposure to the outside world, so their ideas about life are also quite limited. For example, Rafe is very practical and professes he does not believe in pretty words or romantic gestures. Since he really did not grow up with that, it made sense. However, when his brother makes a rocking chair, he thinks to himself he would have made it fancier, with pretty carvings. That seemed at odds with his character. He believes if he finds people who are in need of taking care of, its his job to do it. And if he kisses a lady, its his obligation to marry her (whether anyone else agrees or not).

I liked that the story had these wounded brothers who had to deal with their issues, as well as damsels in distress (sort of), with a bit of danger to the story. Julia is quite strong and stubborn (perfect for Rafe), but mostly because of her upbringing, or lack of, which necessitated a survival mentality. Audra is a young bride with a toddler and one on the way who was married off to Julias no-good father, to pay a debt. They are much more like sisters and only about 3 years apart. Ethan is Rafes brother. He has seen a bit more of the world, as he tried to find his own way, and get out from his big brothers shadow and bossiness. Now he has returned home, only to land right in the middle of a mystery and some dangerous situations involving these 2 young women. Ethan seems to be rather sensitive in nature and quite drawn to Maggie, Audras toddler. Julia has a huge interest in caverns and fossils and hopes to do research on them, even if the situation becomes to dangerous. Those same caverns have a huge and difficult history for the brothers and they will have to confront their past if they are to move forward. Even though the style/wording felt odd/unpolished in ways, I still wanted to keep reading and know what would happen next. I easily read this book in two evenings, and hope to read the rest of the series. Faith and God are lightly woven throughout the story.

Out of Control is Book 1 in the Kincade Bride series by Mary Connealy. The series is about the Kincade brothers and their emotions regarding an incident in the cave during their youth. This book is about Rafe, who rides by the cave and hears a woman (Julia) in the cave. He helps her out and being late in the day, takes her to his home for the night. When they are almost there Julia wants him to take her home, which is on the other side of the cave from his home. Julia was in the cave exploring while her pregnant step mother and step sister were napping and got caught there, her concern is getting back to them. Julia is obsessed with the cave, believing it was made by the Great Flood with fish fossils so high on the wall.

This book introduces Rafe's other brother and Julia's family.

This is an easy book to read. The characters are a little different than I expected. I could guess what was going to happen next most of the time. I did enjoy reading this book and looked forward to getting the rest of the series.

The book was wonderful. However, I would have liked it to go a little further... What happens to Julia's mother in law? Will she marry Rafe's brother? Even though I felt that it could have continued, it is excellent reading.

I was very much looking forward to reading this book. However, I was extremely disappointed.

The heroine, Julia, was a stubborn, self-absorbed, truly "out of control" individual who claimed to love her step-mom and mildly care about her father, but was willing to leave while her father was knowingly within hours of dying (she was gone when he died) and her step-mom was about to give birth at any moment alone so she could pursue her passion--fossils.

The author did nothing to conceal the fact that the hero, Rafe, for the great majority of the story was desiring to marry Julia because he was lusting her but readily admitted no love for her.

There was a lot of intimacy going on between the two with each acknowledging that they had no love for the other, just attraction (lust). Of course, they "find" love by the end of the story to finish out the plot, but it takes a long long time. Meanwhile they continue to take advantage of each other because it feels good.

The story line is horribly unrealistic. Julia is willing to abandon her family in its direst hour of need, risk a killer on her own she knows is still in the cave who has tried to kill her already, defies people's wise advice over and over again, risks other's lives and safety, and constantly selfishly demands her way just to see some fossils in a nearby cave.

The story feels like it is on a constant loop with Julia's unyielding selfishness and recklessness as its central theme. So so BORING.

Were this a true story, Rafe would have been an absolute fool to marry Julia and would be doomed to pay for it for the rest of his marriage. Were this set in modern times and I knew the couple, I would have grave concerns about the sustainability of the marriage. You cannot have an insubordinate, self-centered wife and a domineering man and expect peace, love, and one-accord in the home. They would have ended up a miserable couple with Julia ruling the family and Rafe spending as much time as possible out on the open range away from her overbearing ways.